I created this song in an attempt to explain the hardships of knowing that someone you love and care for is getting noticeably older and closer to dying. This song is about my grandmother and her lovely home. It's about spending my childhood in the grass of her back yard and wandering aimlessly through the woods with my cousins. In some of the lyrics I am saying that "This house feels so empty, I remember all the noise." When I was younger all of my family members would get together almost every Sunday. However, over the years many of them have moved farther away. It is rare that the once bustling house is filled with laughter coming from multiple directions. In the very first lyrics I sing, "Peach colored flowers, given to shaky hands." I always get my grandma peach colored flowers from a greenhouse nearby her home. As the years have gone by her hands have begun to shake. She was diagnosed with Parkinsons disease before I wrote this song. I also write about "Gemstones and fireflies" These are hints at the impact that my grandfather had on my life. He took me to beautiful gem shows, he was an archaeologist. My grandma and I still go every year together to remember his passing. I mention fireflies because on the late-night drives with my grandfather, he would stop by a field in the middle of summer. At these fields in the middle of Pennsylvania, he would flash the headlights of the car and thousands of little yellow dots would flash back to us as if saying "Hello!" The excitement of this sight was carved into my ten-year-old self's memory. At the end of the song, I also sing about the old pink rocking chair. This rocking chair was where my grandfather ate his dinner. He could not walk to the table towards the end. I would sit on the couch next to the chair and eat dinner with him as the rest of the family sat at the dinner table. This song is a remembrance and appreciation to my grandparents and the impact they had on creating a beautiful childhood for me, my brother, and my cousins. It's about knowing that one day she will pass as well and grieving something that hasn't happened yet. If the link doesn't work, please let me know, amdorsey29@gmail.com

I am a person who yearns to try new things. I deserve this scholarship because when I say I want to do something I go and do it. I had always known that I wanted to study abroad and in this last semester I was finally capable of doing it. I packed up my belongings in two measly suitcases and traveled to the other side of the world by myself. I landed in Australia, a place that I now consider a second home. I have met, and become lifelong friends with individuals from Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Zimbabwe, Sweden, and many other beautiful countries. While studying abroad I was able to conquer my underwhelming fear of public transportation. I also diminished my fear of heights by willingly jumping out of a plane with a stranger. I had been given the opportunity to get my scuba certification, and I ran with it (or swam?). I am now officially a PADI open water diver. Getting certified has been one of my lifelong dreams. I live in Pennsylvania, and the ocean isn't exactly outside my front door, so getting certified was a challenge that I was able to figure out. My next goal with scuba diving is to get my advanced open water certificate and then eventually do research out in the ocean. Outside of Australia, I have learned the workings of guitar. I have created my own songs and have sung them in front of people. Once I get back home, I plan on officially producing some of my music. I am excited to see where this hobby will take me. Alongside the arts, I love to draw and have a drawing portfolio. My strongest medium is oil painting; I focus on creating drawings that express the quickness of time enveloped in nature. In high school I won an award for my AP art exhibit and got a 4 on my AP art portfolio. Following this subject, I love to read. My favorite books are the King killer chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. I also enjoy expanding my knowledge in other languages and oftentimes read simple stories in Spanish. After meeting many people from Germany while traveling abroad, I am now slowly becoming capable of reading very beginner friendly German stories. I hope to eventually have more experience in not only reading the languages but also speaking them. I also tend to put myself in uncomfortable situations. For example, my name somehow got signed up on the wrestling signup sheet during my senior year of high school. I jokingly went to the first practice because of this, and soon enough the joke turned into reality. I didn't miss a single practice during the whole wrestling season. I would compete in all girl tournaments with my team and placed 2nd and 3rd in a few of them. I won the first match I ever had by pinning a girl. The joke of my name being on the sign-up list was completely over when my coach told me that the boy on my team... in my weight class... got injured. My coach then proceeded to ask me if I wanted to wrestle a guy in front of my school. I said yes for some reason and all of my friends and family saw me get beat up by a guy who was a foot taller than me. Let's just say I would rather jump out of a plane than do that again. Sadly, jumping out of a plane was not yet an option and a week later my coach told me I was once again wrestling with our guy's team. Before my match I was shaking with impending doom and nervously jogging around in the back. My name was called to go onto the mat, and the sight was like watching a mouse approach a lion. I trembled with fear as the boy shook my hand and threw me to the ground before anyone could even blink. I struggled, as one would, but against all odds I escaped. He went to take another shot at my legs, and I pulled the only move I confidently knew. Somehow my right arm was perfectly snug around his neck, and my left was hooked under his shoulder. I drove him to the mat with every single cell in my body and pinned him in under 2 minutes. I even had to check if he was okay afterwards. The room erupted into a cacophony of cheers, and it marked the best moment of my life. I have also played a few other sports. For approximately 13 years I was seen on a softball field. I was playing year-round due to also participating in travel ball. In college I wanted to try out something new, so I went to a club fair. Some girl told me she would give me a popsicle if I signed up for rugby. Before I knew it, I was holding a ball I've never seen before and running for my life from a girl who knew much more about rugby than I ever will. Safe to say, I beat her in the foot race and went on to score a couple tries. I am planning to continue playing Rugby once I get back to my home University in this upcoming fall semester. Another sport I have picked up for a hobby is running. I recently ran my 3rd 5k and I am currently training to do a 10k in the future. When it comes to education I am drawn to the sciences. I am actively working in a laboratory and doing research on mosquitos. I am using PCR and Gel electrophoresis to amplify the DNA in mosquitos to see what kinds of yeasts are inhabiting their bodies. These yeasts can aid in the development of mosquitos and their larvae. The information I find will help aid as a first step in future grad projects. In the future I want to get my masters in a field involving either biology or marine biology to help conserve the coral reefs and the oceans. I am currently looking for schools abroad to get my masters. Overall, my advantage is my willingness to put myself out there and try something new. I will never say no to a challenge or opportunity to learn something new about not only other people, places, and things, but also myself. I have a strong passion to continue traveling the world and experiencing cultures and languages. I am confident and trusting in myself and my education to get me through any struggle I come across. I appreciate the opportunity for this scholarship and thank you for your consideration.

Young individuals need science and the curiosity it brings. I am pursuing my degree in Biology in aims to care for and protect the oceanic ecosystems. I want to teach students of all ages about science and show them that it can be fun and wacky and incredibly beneficial in their day to day lives. Recently, I got to teach and show middle schoolers that hissing cockroaches can carry an incredible amount of weight compared to their own body weight. The kids were giggling and screaming as I showed them that it was safe to touch and hold a cockroach, if done so appropriately. This moment opened my eyes to the importance of teaching and showing kids that science is so unique. I also absolutely thrive on being able to explore different cultures, places, and people. With a degree in the sciences, this will allow for travel to become a reality in the workforce. This past semester, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Australia. I got my scuba diving certification and had the chance to snorkel in some amazing places. The ocean has always held me in its grasp. I want to help protect the fragile coral reef ecosystems while teaching others the importance of them. Helping these coral reefs can include performing research in labs to find loopholes around the warming of the oceans and seeing what corals can adapt compared to those that can't. Coral reef restoration also takes the form of creating coral farms by growing and replanting healthy corals. A biology degree also introduces me to people from all over the world. I love learning new languages and being a part of a dedicated community wanting to make a difference. I would choose the sciences again and again in every lifetime. There is a multitude of diverse paths that it can take an individual. Science as a whole is so entertaining to learn about and I am so appreciative of all of the passionate professors I have been able to learn from. I chose the Sciences because I genuinely love showing up every day. I currently am doing research in a lab during the summer, and it doesn't even feel like a job. I am learning all about mosquitos and the symbiotic relationships with bacteria and yeasts. It is overall such a fascinating subject in something I had no idea about. This scholarship opportunity would tremendously help with the funds of growing student loans and the ability to continue expanding my knowledge in another country. I am planning on going for my master's after graduation. I want to go to a place with new ecosystems, diversity, conservation challenges, and research opportunity to expand on who I am as a person and share science and information with individuals from all over the world. This money would be used to spread the love of science from a dedicated individual from Pennsylvania to many people around the world.

I’ve learned to chase discomfort, not out of recklessness, but because I believe true individual growth lies just beyond the edge of familiarity. I will attempt to do just about anything and will not think poorly of the activity until I have tried it. I learn the most about who I am when I'm uncomfortable. I don't shy away from the unknown; I sprint towards it. For example, during my senior year of high school I was burnt out. I had been playing softball since I could walk, and the passion wasn't the same. My biology professor, who happened to be the wrestling coach told me to join the wrestling team. On a whim, I wrote my name down on the signup sheet. The next evening, I was in a 95-degree wrestling room saying "nice to meet you" to a girl I was supposed to take down to the mat. It was awkward. It was strange. However, I couldn't quit. I went to practice every single day of the season. I started to love it. The girls became family to me. We pushed each other through the takedowns, sweat, and bruises. Every weekend we went to all girl tournaments and wrestled all day. It was the most exhausted I had ever been in my life. It was also the strongest I had ever been. I ended this journey with multiple second and third place medals and even pinning a guy in the process. That's a story for another day. This mindset carried into college. I joined rugby. I didn't even know what rugby was nor what a rugby ball looked like. I was offered a popsicle if I signed up. Next thing I knew, I was writing down my name with a popsicle in hand. I also recently picked up snowboarding, I love the thrill of the icy air against my skin as I tumble down a mountain. As for my studies, I take great pride in my grades. I struggle with remembering that a letter grade does not define who I am as a person. I continually seek academic validation in myself, and it is a very difficult pressure to overcome. With that being said, I care about my grades a lot. I strive to be the best. I strive to learn the most I possibly can. I am working towards a bachelor's in biology at Shippensburg University. I absolutely adore learning. I jump at the challenge of figuring out how biological systems works, or how different chemical compounds react with each other. Overall, I enjoy taking the time to study my academics while trying new things along the way. This scholarship will help me overcome the financial burden that is put on college students. My father got a raise from his job, so I no longer qualify for PHEAA or the Pell grants. Even though he got the raise, my parents do not contribute with paying my education. I only receive loans from fafsa and money from my part time job. According to fafsa my parents are estimated to pay 15k for my tuition a year. However, they don't pay a dime. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to better focus on my academics and extracurricular activities. Thank you for considering my application.

A personal experience that has shaped my interest involving STEM based knowledge is the need to continuously learn more. In Microbiology we learned about the infrastructure of cells and how the organelles just seem to know what to do. How is that possible? Each organelle has its own specific purpose. Some store nutrients, some transport, and some simply protect the cell. These functions are also being constructed by even smaller factors hidden from our eyes. For example, in plasma membranes there is something called a phospholipid bilayer. This bilayer is made up of hundreds if not thousands of hydrophobic tails. It is the reason cells can transport chemicals and other nutrients in and out of the cell. The challenge to processes like this is that there are missing parts to the system that have not been solved. Pieces that people have yet to discover due to the complexity of how they work, or the size is too small. A broader outlook on this claim can be seen within the oceans. Only around 10% of the ocean has been mapped out by the use of modern sonar technology. There are a myriad of species just waiting to be discovered within the depths. I anticipate tackling this search for knowledge by one day conducting my own research. A childhood experience I had involving STEM was collecting cicada shells in the backyard with my dad. We had to watch out for pincher bugs, who enjoyed residing in the shells. This specific experience opened up so many more questions about insects and animals that I could never seem to contain. I wanted to know everything, why do cicadas molt? Why do they only come out every 13 or 17 years? It's a challenge having so many questions. It's a challenge I never want to overcome. If I did, I would simply have nothing else to learn. I attend college at Shippensburg University where I am currently researching an invasive species called, "New Zealand Mud Snails." These snails have no natural predators in the United States and are taking over the streams. Hundreds to thousands of them are on rocks, woody debris, and plant life. The goal of this project is to find how these snails are affecting the trophic levels of the life around them. I am pursuing a biology degree with a Geographic Information Systems Minor. I stay active and involved at Shippensburg by being on the Club Rugby team. I got offered a popsicle if I wrote my name down on the signup sheet. A few seconds later I was writing my name. Popsicle in hand. I like to do new activities that put me out of my comfort zone. For example, I joined the wrestling team my senior year of high school. I wrestled in tournaments and even earned a few medals. I also love snowboarding, rock climbing, and anything art related. I am actively applying to study abroad in Australia to get a chance to learn a little more about myself in a place I've never been. My long-term goals are to work in the oceans. I would love to work with marine animals or in coastal conservation ecology.

I want to be present and actively involved in everything that I sign up for. This is not a goal that is easily achieved. Mental health plays an incredible toll on how people react to every type of situation. I struggled with mental health during my senior year of high school and my sophomore of college. My dips in mental health came from the overwhelming pressure and stress of people pulling me from all directions. In high school I was jumping between school, work, sports, and clubs every day of the year. It was a constant pull of my time, and I didn't know how to say no to people older than me. My coaches wouldn't allow me to take days off or go on vacation if it meant not being at a game or practice. I couldn't catch a break and began to spiral. In this spiral I made an out-of-pocket decision to join the wrestling team. When I joined this team, I couldn't really place why I did it. Wrestling brought incredible physical challenges that forced me to be in the best shape of my life. This physical aspect of the sport was so tiring that I could finally get away from my stress. I could let it all out on other people by throwing them and outplaying them on the mat. I finally had a way to focus on something else other than the thousands of thoughts racing in my head. It was just me, and my opponent. During my sophomore year of college my patience was stretched thin. I was falling back into the never-ending doom of assignments, work, and sports. I had a friend group that was falling apart more and more every week. I started to hate going out with friends, I hated anything that took time away from the things I needed to do. I became a person that I couldn't even recognize. One day, I made sure that it changed. I began saying no to people instead of going to an event and hating it. I chose healthier food options and focused on getting my runs and workouts done for the sports I am involved in. I stopped agreeing to go out on the weekends because I had never liked it. I started valuing my own mental health over other people's opinion of me, and I thank myself every day for it. In college I have seen that the biggest challenge is the peer pressure of the people around you. People who see you succeed get jealous and try to throw you off your designated path of success. When I started to realize that this was the case my mental health finally was where I wanted it. I no longer cared what other people thought about my actions, I was participating in events and playing sports that I wanted to. I began hanging out with a different crowd of people who supported my goals and actions. I started going to the gym with friends and we cheered each other on and remembered each other's progress. I became excited to wake up in the mornings to get my day started. Good mental and physical health brings out the best possible version of you.

From the moment I swam through schools of fish in the Riviera Mayas, to my dad and I collecting cicada shells as I grew up, I knew science was my future. It was never a choice, but a drive, a passion to consistently strive for knowledge about our ecosystems and the organisms within them. My home was the stream that my parents and I caught crayfish in for fun, the field of ferns that always had me leaving with bugs covering my skin, and the gardens my mother and I planted together. I was captivated by the intricate world that existed all around me waiting to be discovered. My degree is going to be a bachelor's in general biology. I'm pursuing this career path because learning about animals, plants, ecosystems, and insects brings me genuine joy. I love the outdoors, and the intricate processes involved in life, and biology gives me the language to understand it. My curiosity craves learning more, whether its observing an organism under a microscope or tracing population patterns in nature. With a biology degree I hope to work either in biological research or in the medical field. I want to be a part of something more involved. Whether that's diagnosing diseases for people having trouble with their health or protecting threatened ecosystems. I am choosing this career field because I want the work that I perform to either benefit the planet or the people living in it. This scholarship will help in accomplishing my goals by decreasing the stress of the looming student loans hanging over my head. The burden of student loans can be overwhelming, especially when pursuing a field where public service comes before profit. Some days I wonder if the cost of college is worth it. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial hardship and allow me to focus more on my education, research, and field experiences. The interest rates are incredibly high and it's hard enough to pay the interest off of a loan. Let alone the actual loan. The money provided by this scholarship would go directly towards my growing student loans. This scholarship has already reminded me of the passion I have towards the sciences and why I started this journey. The prompt alone allowed me to remember that I'm going to college to achieve my goals in a field that will make the world better, and I can't wait to be a part of it.

A rugby family is built upon trust, hard work, and support. We share our bruises and run alongside each on and off the field. These moments create a bond genuine to a team. Joining rugby my sophomore year of college has introduced me to lifelong friends and memories I will never forget. Trust comes from my teammates showing each other that they will give it their all going in for a tackle. It comes from the constant hand offs and switch plays that we perform. Trust also expresses itself when we share vulnerable emotions and honest feelings with each other. A rugby family shows up to practice and doesn't give up on commitment. We all put in the hard work during and after practice. Completing our weekly runs, workouts, and study hours shows our dedication to the sport. A rugby family is passionate about their health, and they care about mine. The support a team shares for each other is the most important aspect of any sports team. However, my team doesn't actually make me feel this way. Most of the girls on the team are very outgoing. They love to party and stay up drinking throughout the night, sometimes the night before our weekend tournaments. I feel a lot of pressure to adhere to their fun. I frequently dread the night outs and the mandatory team hangouts the night after a tournament. I'm often called boring for not smoking/drinking with them. Some belch loudly and others are not the best at hearing the word "no." They have meaning to things that are supposed to be fun, but I just haven't quite understood it yet. For example, everyone on the team needs to carry around a pacifier on their keychain. If caught without it, they are forced to drink from a very old rotted out boot. So, as everyone else does, I carry around a pacifier on my keychain. This creates interesting conversations with my parents and family members and the group of boys at planet fitness who returned my keys to me. Maybe that's the fun in the pacifier. It creates awkward encounters that become good stories. Stories are told quite often when we all hangout. Stories about sex and drugs and all things in the book. I find myself outside of the inner circle prying for words that I cannot seem to reach. Maybe I was meant to only listen. Maybe I am boring. I'm not a huge fan of parties or drinking. I like reading, painting, and running through the woods with friends. With joining rugby, I've realized that it's okay to be boring. I strive for competition and continuously improving on myself. Rugby is my outlet, my stress relief. It helps me focus better on my schoolwork and create a healthier body. I have enjoyed every second of the physical tournaments that we have played in. The early mornings are filled with birds chirping and exhausted shivering, followed by long car rides of careless singing. I love the adrenaline before a kick, and the chase to the tri zone. I crave the rivalry between teams and the exhaustion in between halves. The soreness the following days proves that I played my hardest and gave it my all. The bruises show me that it's okay to get hurt. I love rugby, and maybe I haven't found a family from it, but it has helped me find myself.

Indoor plants cannot survive without water. Well, most of them can’t. Even with this knowledge acquired in my 17 year old brain, I still didn’t want to water my plants. I didn’t understand why it was such a hassle to me. As the days went by so did their colors. The pleasant aromas and soft hues began to fade around me. However, I just couldn’t bring myself to pour water into the drying dirt of their soon to be grave. I saw their wilted leaves and the subtle brown spots beginning to grow on them and yet I still couldn’t bring myself to get them water. I watched as they peered through the windows to watch the passing showers in hollow grief and jealousy. Sometimes hours would pass by as I stayed nose deep into a book. The sudden realization that I still had not given them water would itch at my neck. Once again, I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to get up. “One more chapter,” I’d say to myself. The pages of the book would breeze by and that “one chapter” becomes two or maybe even three. My eyes could skim the pages for hours until I felt thirsty. I would get up. Why? I wasn’t a selfish being, but when It comes to plants I was. I drank the glass of water in front of them blissfully. Not thinking of my ignorant behavior as they were dying all around me. When the last sip trickled down my throat everything had changed. I wanted to be a better caregiver for them. I filled my cup back up to the brim and gave each plant the perfect amount of water. The plants didn’t change their appearance right away, but I changed the way I thought about them. Every day before I sat down on the couch I gave every plant a pleasant surprise of water. Day by day their colors turned back to the sweet hues that I remembered when I first bought them. The browns faded (or got cut off), and greens emerged. I couldn’t see it but, they also gave off a surplus of oxygen for my kind actions. Seeing the way the plants were affected by a simple thing, changed my state of mind. I wanted the plants to flourish like no other, and they did. I could finally say that I had given them their colors and their size. The plants needed me and in some ways I needed them. I needed them to show me how my actions could affect something so simple. From now on I will always help out if needed. The impact may be much greater then I could ever realize. Some people don’t ask for help in the form of words, so to notice it and help without them asking could be greatly appreciated. Sometimes people just need someone to talk to, whether it’s about work or a difficulty. In these instances I like to think I’m their “water” and can help them grow. In consideration, I will continue to water the plants, and help those who need it.

The underlying amount of questions we have about our Earth is unfathomable. Not only our Earth, but ourselves. The way the human body interacts with the natural and technical aspects of our world today greatly interests me. I want to understand and learn more about myself and those surrounding me. I yearn for the knowledge of cells, molecular biology, histology, horticulture and, computer sciences. A career in STEM will help me pursue the person I want to be. I will meet hundreds of other people sharing similar if not the same interests. I look forward to learning about other people as individuals and how they view the world. I’m also looking for a job in STEM because Science and Mathematics are my strongest courses. I’m going into my senior year taking AP calculus and I’m more than excited. I’m also taking AP bio, small animal science, and physics. I’ve always had a love for the sciences. I enjoy learning about technology as well due to its ever changing placement in society. At this rate we will always have technology in our lives. Therefore it is important to understand it and work alongside of it. Challenges will be found around many corners in not only my life, but thousands of other teenagers. It’s difficult to choose a career in high school. Opinions change. Our brains are still growing and adapting and will continue to for multiple years. We are easily influenced by the ideas of others and still have trouble making up our minds. The first big step is the worst obstacle. The first step to adulthood. In my eyes that is realization. Many of my friends and even myself do not want to talk about the future. We are scared of what is to come, and sad to let go of what we’ve had for so long. Once we do let ourselves talk about it we will be ready. More than a decade of our life has been dedicated to graduating high school. Graduating the place we are comfortable with and moving on to bigger schools or jobs. However, once we all take that first step we will be in the right direction. Another obstacle is knowing who the right crowd of people to communicate and hangout with is. The people you hangout with do reflect on your personality and your goals. Finding those people, even if it takes time, matters a lot in the long run. Overall, it’s important to chase your strengths to get to your dreams.